Cooperation Agreement between the Cities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area 2006-2008
Approved by the City Councils of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, May
22nd, 2006
1. Backround
The aim of the present cooperation
agreement is to intensify and extend mutual cooperation based on the cooperation
document signed in 2004 by the City Councils of the cities involved (four
cities), and to promote cooperation between the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and
the state.
By this agreement the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, here
called the Contract Cities, agree to start planning the actions, policy outlines
and cooperation projects included in the document ”Pääkaupunkiseudun linjaukset
kunta- ja palvelurakenneuudistuksessa” (the policy outlines of the Helsinki
Metropolitan Area in the Municipal and Service Structure Reform) approved by the
Helsinki Metropolitan Area Advisory Board on 14 Feb 2006. The document is
attached to this agreement (Appendix 1).
2. Developing the actions of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Advisory
Board
The activities of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Advisory
Board are intensified, and their political mandate will be extended in 2006
through a separate decision to be made by the city councils.
3. Implementation of the policy outlines for the Helsinki
Metropolitan Area
The Contract Cities engage to cooperate to start
preparing the cooperation projects and measures in the Helsinki Metropolitan
Area as mentioned in Appendix 2, and to provide sufficient resources for the
preparation. Each contract city will decide separately on the funding and other
implementation of the cooperation projects and measures.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Advisory Board provides guidance, coordination
and monitoring for the continued preparation of the cooperation projects and
measures. The Board will be assisted by a Coordination Group that it appoints
itself.
The preparation is led by the Assembly of the Lord Mayors of the Contract
Cities. The preparation work is carried out by groups consisting of the Deputy
Mayors and Sector Managers of the Contract Cities or work groups appointed by
the aforesaid Assembly.
4. Other regional cooperation
The cooperation between the
14 municipalities within the Helsinki Region (including the 4 cities of the
Helsinki Metropolitan Area) will be continued in accordance with a Cooperation
Treaty signed in 2005.
The Contract Cities collaborate to promote the implementation of the policy
outlines for the Helsinki Region and the Uusimaa province as mentioned in
Appendix 1.
5. Staff participation
The participation of the staff of
the Contract Cities will be arranged as defined in the general agreement on
cooperation for the municipal sector and the agreements of cooperation in each
city.
6. Cooperation with the State
The Contract Cities develop
the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in cooperation with the State. The aim is to
reach an agreement for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area between the State and the
Contract Cities on common measures to develop the metropolitan area in vital
ministerial sectors and on State support to major projects.
7. Evaluating the results of regional cooperation
During
the year 2008, the Contract Cities will evaluate the functionality and results
of cooperation within the region, and make decisions required for further
measures. The evaluation will also account for how to further develop the
cooperative measures, competences and divisions of work between the Helsinki
Metropolitan Area Council YTV, the Uusimaa Regional Council, possibly the units
of the State’s regional administration and the municipalities of the Helsinki
Region. In this process, the decision on an investigation of advantages and
disadvantages of a merger of the cities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area will
be taken separately.
8. Entry into force of the agreement
The agreement enters
into force when the City Councils of all Contract Cities have approved it.
Appendices
1. Policy outlines for the Municipal and
Service Structure Reform in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
2. The Helsinki
Metropolitan Area’s cooperation projects and measures within the Municipal and
Service Structure Reform
